La Tortura
by child-ephemeral
Summary: The Torture Fed up with Alec's constant chattering, Max sets him an unusual challenge... MaxAlec pairing


_Authors Note: These characters are not mine, they do not belong to me, I have no claim on them whatsoever. (Mores the pity.) Shakira's track La Tortura inspired this piece, I do not own this song either! This is my debut into Dark Angel fic, so hope you all enjoy! Be gentle with me..._

"Face it, Maxie." Alec grinned wolfishly, as they strode out of Jam-Pony. "I'm faster than you, stronger than you AND I have more training than you. I'm just-whats the word...?" He waved his hand around, looking skyward, as if to pluck the word from the air. "Oh yeah, thats it..." He paused for emphasis, "...better."

"Whatever you need to believe to get through the day, Alec." Max glared, picking up her pace as they reached the street. The faster they could get to Crash, the faster she could find OC and as a result, the faster she could shake off the most annoying transgenic - no, make that person - she'd ever had the misfortune to meet. And she'd met a lot.

"But, Maxie.." His voice took on the faux-hurt tone it always did when he let one of her barbed remarks slide right off his shoulders, "I don't need to believe anything, its..." he smirked, "its just god given fact!"

"Manticore given, don't you mean?" She muttered, her voice dropping dangerously low as she speeded up again, the entrance to the bar coming into sight.

"Manticore shmanticore." Alec shook his head, moving faster to match Max's pace. "As they say, Maxie, 'anything you can do, I can do better!"

Max whirled round suddenly, stopping toe to toe with him, her face inches from his. "Prove it, Alec!" she growled, "You think you're all that? Then bring it on, pretty boy!"

She strode away, heading into the building, leaving Alec where he stood. Surprised, amused, and if he was honest, a little turned on, he shrugged, a sly grin sliding across his face as he headed after her.

Storming forward, she held up a hand to silence OC as she headed straight past and toward the jukebox in the corner of the bar.

"Whats up with my girl?" OC asked Alec, still looking toward Max and the jukebox. "What'd you do to her now?"

"OC!" Alec mock-gasped. "Now what could ever make you think that?"

"The fact that whenever she gets in a strop like that, you always got something to do with it, thats what."

"True."

"Come on then." Max ordered, suddenly appearing at their side.

"Max..." Cindy began, "What-"

"Give me 5 minutes, C, I got an ass to kick."

"Max..." Alec hesitated, glancing around the bar. "We can't go one on one here..." he smirked, "much as I like the idea."

"Not talking about fighting, Alec." She nodded towards Sketch, stood helpfully against the jukebox, as she moved out to the centre of the dancefloor.

He stared back, confused. "Maxie...what are you talking about?"

Her smirk widened as the first chords of the track boomed through the speakers. A latin sounding track from early in the century, she'd picked it specially. "Come on then, golden boy." She stopped still, gently rolling her hips from side to side with the beat. "If you're so great, lets see what moves Manticore taught you."

"You want me to-" Alec's brow was furrowed. Max would have laughed if she wasn't so serious about showing him up.

"Dance, yeah." She tilted her head to one side, her face goading him as her body continued to move with the music. "Show me what you can do, Alec."

Swallowing slowly, Alec nodded, throwing his coat to one side as he moved towards Max. OC sunk into the seat behind her, amusement filling her features as she watched the proceedings.

Max stepped quickly to one side, her steps matching every beat, every move as calculated as a mathematical equation. Swiftly dropping into step, Alec matched her, every movement replicated as quickly as it occurred, with equal grace.

In an easy amalgamation of samba, salsa, and something exotic OC had never seen before, they looked as comfortable as she'd ever seen them, as if they'd been born...or created, she corrected herself, to make those movements. She smiled gently to herself, watching as the bar filled with people, many of them now watching the figures in the centre of the room.

Stares locked together, the transgenics remained oblivious to their audience, movements intensifying, no longer replications but responses to each other. Max stepped forward as Alec stepped back, the motion as fluid as if they had practiced it for years. Giving, yielding and passing between, the two figures continued, fire building in their performance, not touching, never looking away, attention fully focused on their 'combat'.

"Gotta hand it to you," Max smiled, still moving, "Manticore obviously taught you a few tricks..."

"More than a few tricks, Maxie" he smirked, circling her with ease in a intricate motion.

"No-one likes a show-off, Alec." She followed his move with her own complex action, the sly smile never leaving her face.

"What's that they say..." He paused, responding almost unconsciously to her move as he pondered. "Oh,yeah...if you've got it-" he winked to a beat of the rhythm " -flaunt it."

Cindy glanced around the bar, the attention of the entire room now focused on the encounter between the two figures in their midst. Mesmerised, noone moved, avidly watching each shift, each change in step, with a surprised delight. OC caught Sketchy's eye, a knowing gaze passing between the two.

The music built gradually, a steady beat raising to a crescendo as the female vocal grew in intensity. Max arched her back, rolling her body towards Alec, every time pulling it back just before it made contact with him. With the bang of a drum, Alec stepped towards her purposefully, moving back with the next beat. The male vocal grew, punctuating his movements as he circled Max once again, his predatory nature simmering below the surface as his gaze flickered across her body. Max bit her lip as she noticed the glance, her eyes returning his gaze as she felt a bolt of adrenalin shoot through her, leaving her senses tingling in its wake.

The final beats approached, the guitar rhythm growing as their movements slowed. Moving in closer, they circled each other, gazes locked once again, every motion in tune with the other. The end of the track a moment away, their 'war' concluded as the vocal faded, each taking a sudden step towards the other, feet slamming against the floor loudly in tune with the final beat.

Breathing heavily, they drew away from each other, suddenly surprised as the noise of the music was replaced by a new roar; the gathered crowd loudly applauding, cheers echoing through the room.

Max felt herself pulled double as a hand grabbed hers, Alec already bowing to the rapturous audience. Snatching her hand away, she reached for his shirt, pulling him towards her before he knew what she was doing. Lips meeting suddenly, they sunk into the kiss, each rise and fall of their still rapid breathing matched perfectly. The crowd forgotten, Max felt herself let go as Alec drew her closer, aware of nothing else than his lips on hers. Lost in the moment, she pulled away dazedly, smirking at the expression on her partners face. "Not bad, golden boy."

"Not bad, Maxie," Alec smirked back, "Better."


End file.
